Mechanical stoker.



Nd. 840,722. PATENTED-JAN. s, 1907-.

I W. H.STROUSE.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

IL," 31mm to: i i I Witnaooea gnaw/M atmnw No, 840,722. PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907. W.. H. STROUSE. MECHANICAL STOKEVR.

APPL ICATION I'IL ED SEPT. 16; 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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witmzoaeo gg PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907. w. H. STROUSE. MECHANICAL STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.16. 1905.

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' ofiHe chanical stokers adapted for [use on UNITED STATES PLATEET'II OF WILLIAM HENRY STROUSE. 0F osKALoosA. IOWA. ASSIGNOR Tow. H. STROUSE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or osK oos IOWAgA coa- POR ATION 'OF IOWA.

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Rim 840,722 v Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 16,1906. SeriaINmZ'IBJES- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY STRoUsE, a citizen of the United States of America, residin at Oskaloosa, in the county 5 of Mahaska and tate of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in.

Mechanical Stokers, of which the following is as ecification.

' his invention relates to -mechanical stokers, and morenparticularlynhfihgt class locomotive-engines, the resent improvements relating more speci cally to the operating mechamsm for the fuel-feeding plun ger, the construction of the plunger itself, in connection with tie door throu h which the fuelis passed,and to the means or overcoming shock incident to the reciprocations-of the plunger. 7 I I The objects of-the invention are to r0- vide a simple practical form of stoker which may be applied to locomotives as at present constructed without material alteration in the fire-bot: or parts associated therewith and which will effect automatically, but under manual control, a uniform distribution of the fuel over the entire gratesurface. I

The invention consists in certain novel detalls of construct on and comblnatlons and arrangements of parts, all as will be now described, and pointed out appended claims. I r

In the accompan ing drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation o a stoker in position in line 3 .3 in Fig. 4 indicating tle section-line. Fig. 3 is a detail section of the spreader con nections and lock therefor. Fig. 4 is a section in avertical plane in right angles to Fig. 3, the section being on the line 4 4, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section and showing one form of spreader used in connection with a reciprocatory plunger. Fig, 6 is av'detail sectional view through the steamchest to show the arran ement of ports. and passages. Fig. 7 is a si e elevation showing the bottom of a suitable hopper;

particularly in the front of a locomotive fire-box, portions ofthe a fuel conveyer and driving inechanism therefor for use in COIIIIBCUOII with the stoker.

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the valve-oper-' ating rock-shaft and arms connected thereto,

Patented Jan. 8, 1907. 1

the. frame and plunger being shown in section. Fig. 9 is a detail sect on through the throttle-valve and showing the operating connections in dotted lines.

Like characters of reference in the several 7 figures indicate the same parts. i Generally speaking, the operating parts of the stoker embody a reciprocatory plunger adapted to Work through a front openlngln the fire-box and to push fuel ahead of it from The 'n' romentum p t @Qjlhhflley'thpliinger sufficient to project the same to the desired points, and even distribution is efiected by. a

suitable formation given to the end of the end aces of said plunger movable to effect lateral distribution. The plunger itself is steam actuatedand reciprocates at a high s eed, its reciprocations, however, b'ein at a 1, times under effective manual contro ,so

lun er and in some instances b makin the P y a that its movements maybe limited in extent or speed at the will of the fireman.

In the said drawings the letter a indicates the front wall of a fire-box having a suitable fuel-opening'therein, and the stoker is mounted against and in front of said wall, with its bed A projecting into the opening. The

said bed A is preferably provided with upwardly-extending side flanges B, which form the guideways for the reci rocatory plunger to advance into the furnace beyond the end of the bed A a H, which latter is adapte suitable distance to secure the desired rojection of the fuel into the fire-box. urmounting the said bed A and surrounding the forward end of the plunger when retracted is a hopper A, into whichthe fuel is placed in quantity as desired. The opening through which the plunger passes into the fire-box is normally osed by a doorb hinged atiits upper edge in bearings c and resting in an inclmed position, with its lower edge against the bed A and between vertical flanges b, so as to effectually close the opening against the admission of an or fuel, save when the plunger H is advanced so as to ush the door open. I The said door is usua ly arranged to rest against inclined ribs B, and to insure quick and efiect-ive closing it is provided with an arm (1, to the outer end'of which a spring 6 is attached and suitably anchored at llS opposite end, the arrangcmentbeing such as to reduce the weight of the parts as far as possible to overcome the effect of inertia, inasmuch asit is designed that the apparatus shall operate at relatively high speed and a heavy or weighted door would be ineffective by reason of the inertia to be overcome by the rapidly-moving plunger and the momentum-acquired by the door itself when moved by the plunger.

Arranged parallel with the plunger and preferably. close beneath the same and between its downwardly-extending sides is a steam-cylinder C, having a piston and piston-rod m working therein, the forward end of the piston-rod being' connected with the plunger, as will be hereinafter described and as illustratedin Fig. 1. The upper part of the cylinder'and piston are between the depending side walls of the plunger at its rear end, whereby the iston-rod and piston are brought horizontal y into alinement with the forward end of the plunger, and consequently direct pressure applied through the pistonlar fuel having hard lumps and fine'particles intermingled.

Means are provided for automatically controlling the admission of steam alternately to opposite sides of the piston in order tov effect the reciprocation of the plunger, and such means embody a manual control, whereby the range of the reciprocations may be varied, their speed increased or decreased, as desired, and the plunger brought to rest invariably in its, retracted position. In addition means are provided for automatically cushioning the piston at each end of its reciprocation, whereby the momentum is checked without shock or noise.

To accomplish the last-mentioned end, the cylinder is provided with a longitudinal livesteam chamber 0 which is in communication. at all times with the boiler, and this chamber 0 communicates at each end through ports with the ends of the cylinder (7, the ports 0 being normally closed, however, by outwardly-opening valves c; having stems c projecting into the cylinder and in position to contact with the piston to open the valve when the piston approaches the end of the cylinder, thereby admitting live steam in front of the piston to check movement, and this action, it will be noted, takes place entirely independent of the normal admission and exhaust of the steam for operating the piston.

Steam is admitted and exhausted from opposite ends of the cylinder for operating the piston thropgh passages (t 1), leading to opposite ends of a valve-chest D, the ports into the valve-chest being preferably arranged, as shown at E from annular chambers E", with which the passages a b communicate. The form of valve illustrated is a balanced pistonvalve embodying heads d (P, connected by a valve-rod d, which extends out into position to cooperate with the operating mechanism to be presently described. Live steam is admitted to the valve-chest through an opening F Figs. 4 and 6, from the manually-eontrolled valve E, Fig. 4, to which the steam is led from the boiler through a pipe S, and the exhaust from the valve-chest takes place through ports fat each end leading into a common exhaust-chamber F and thence out through IllG exhaust-port F The proporiioning of the parts is such that when the valve is moved to one extreme one. of the passages a b is ut into communication with the exhaust an the other of said passages is in communication with the live-steam chamber of the valve-chest, and when the valve is moved to the o posite extreme the conditions just descriied are reversed, the result alternate admission and exhausting of the steam at opposite ends of thecylinder in the well-understood manner.

The valve-stem d is connected with an arm I on a rock-shaft I, and the latter is connected with. the operating mechanism controlled' by the movements of the plunger. This operating mechanism consists, primarily, of two levers g and ,g, arranged at opposite sides of the cylinder and near the under side of the plunger. The lever g is pivoted at its inner end at g Fig. 1, and the lever g is pivoted at its outer endat 9 Fig. 3. The free end of the lever g is connected, through a link i and arm i, with'the rock-shaft I, (see Fig. 3,) and the lever g is connected, through a link '8', intermediate lever i, link i, and arm i',with the said shaft, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Depression of the free end of either one of the levers will move the rock shaft, the lever g turning the said shaft in one direction and the lever g in the opposite direction when depressed. On the under side of the plunger and over the levers are blocks G G, having faces inclined in opposite directions, the block Q over one of the lovers being adapted to contact with a movable projection 9 when the lunger is retracted and the inclined face of t ...e block G lreing adapted to contact with a movable projection g on the other leverwhen the plunger is projected. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) Thus the levers will be alternately depressed by the plunger in its reciprocations and the valve will he oper- IZC ated to admit steam" to move the piston "in one direction or the other, depending upon. the movement of the plunger. v The movable projections g g on the levers may be provided with :antifriction-rollers', 'as shown, for "engagement with the'blocksor inclines on the plunger,'an d it is obvious that by shifting the said projections on the levers the range 'ofmovement of the-'plungerma be varied at will. The projection .9, wine controls the shifting of the valve when the plunger is at therear endof-its stroke or retracted, is preferably connected, through a link E and arm in, Figs.2 andi4',-' with ac'on trolling hand-lever K, and'said hand-leverK is connected, through a crank-arm E fwith' the throttlevalve E, as shown Figs-" 1,"

. and 9.- The arrangementis such that the projection g is moved out of range of the in-- cline G"before thevalve is entirely closed,

- and Consequently the plunger and piston are -ive to cut'ofi the adlini'ssion valve-chest.

invariablybrou ht-to rest with the plunger in its" retracte 'osition', liecauseg" while steam is still adr'nltt'edtothe cylinder, the. shifting rnechanism is movedout of engage ment for shiftingthe 'valve when the piston is at the outer end of its'movement-,' and the 1pirtsare brought to rest in this osition'; the

al closing of the valveE onlfy eing effect -:Themovable projection n the lever yrs connected, through a link 7c",'. wi,th an armk on arock-shaft kHFigs. '1, .2,"an d 8; and the rock-shaft has'upon'its end 'a handlever K*", adapted to be locked 'in position b a suit 1 able" pawl/and notehed'segmentQ The hand-lever K and projection 9 have arelativel wide ran eof movement, theirffuncifo . fireman may cause the plunger to roject the tion eing to de ermine the inwardthrow of. the Iun'ger, and it is obvious that by" s hifting t e hand-lever so-as to movethe pro'ectionIg 'rearwardly from the"forward en [of the plunger the forward j movelnent' of the plunger willbe arrested atan-earlier eriod 1n itsreci oeation', and consequently .the simple ma 'pula'tio'nof the handlever the ifuel'rto the extreme back endfoft e furnace front portion of the furnace re uire additional by" long and rapid movements, or shouldthe fuel the movement of the punger may be restricted so as to project the fuel only overthe said front portion, although in thenor mal and ordinary operation of the device and with ordinary fuel the parts may be set to give the plunger a .definitethrowand still. distribute the fuel uniformly over the entire grate area.

In the preferred form of plunger illustrated herein the forward end 'or nose of the p'lun geris formed by diagonalhy arranged spreader's or deflecting-faces K which come 'to a point or' apex at substantially the center line of the plunger, as well illustrated in Fig.

steam to the '5','each fac'e'or spreader terminating at its lower edge in a forwardly and laterally extendingbase-flange K The "inclined faces of the s readers servetothrow the fuel to the sides 0 I the fire-ltox as the plunger advances,

and" the base-flanges 'serve to in a measure support the fuel untilthedesired momentum is imparted to it)" Inasmuch. '-as it-is desirable in some cases'to project a greater uantity of the fuel transverselyior towar the sides of thelfurnace, the said Spreaders are preferabl hinged at their rear edges to the sides of t e-plunger H, as shown'atj, Fig. 5, and they are connected by links L, pivoted in lugs'k on the Spreaders, with. a head M on the piston-rod m, the object leing-to'cause said s'pre'aders to swing laterally-assoonas they move {out from between the guiding-ihmges B.- Means are provided, howev'er, for pre-' venting the pivotal action or swinging of. the

Spreaders unless so desired by the attendant" and, as shown in the drawings; this means consists of the locking-lever P, Fig. 3, against which the'head-M normally rests. The lever 'P is held in position by a" rod p, extendin back to the 'r'earend of the plungerv throng guides Q and provided-"at its rear .end with a" projection 1, adapted to engage a shoulder on thexplunger, Itis also-provided with a hanthe rejection may? be disengagedfrom the shou der when it is} desired to release thesp'readers andpermit' dle q] byjn'ieans of wh-ic them to act as b efore' descrir ed, I

As a convenient means for supplying fuel to the hopp'efA" the hopper is provided with an 'extenslon 10; Fig, 7, into which a con-' .veyer 8 lealdin' from 'a suitable source of fuel-supply, is a a'pted to ass, said cbnveyer over sprocket-w eels or'pulleys 7' and 9 and-one of the latter b'eing'driven .thIoughdrive-chains 4 and 6 from a motor,

such as a turbine-engine, (indicated at 2'in Fi 7;) butitwill be understood that anyot er suitable arrangement of conveyer may be employed for 'keepin the hopjer"con stantly provided with'fue l li quite-desirableinthe operation of the stoker that the hopper should be filled with fuel to a point above the level of the plungenso that and having a-f'uel projecti ng nose on its forward end, of a plunger-operatmg mechamsm embodying a handlever-controlled means for varying the extent of the'forward stroke "I-i'o masmuc as 1t 1s.

- 12o described the invention,

of the plunger during itsoperation to project the fuel a greater or'less distance asdesired. 2. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with a reciprocatory plunger located above the level of the bottom of the fire-box and having a fuel-projecting nose on its forward end, of a plunger-operating cylinder and piston, a valve controlling the admission and exhaust ports of the cylinder, a valvegear operated by the plunger and embodymg a hand-lever-controlled means for varying the extent of the forward stroke of the plunger during its operation to project the fuel a greater or less distance as desired.

3. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with a reciprocatory plunger located above the level of the bottom of the fire-box and having a fuel-projecting nose at its forward end, of an elastic-fluid motor for reciprocating the plunger, a valve therefor and a valve gear embodying a hand lever controlled means for varying the extent of the forward stroke of the plunger during its op.- eration to proj ot the fuel a greater or less distance as desired.

4. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with a reciprocatory plunger located above the level of the bottom of the fire-box and having a fuel-projecting nose at its forward end, of an engine embodying a piston connected directly with the plunger and means for automatically reversing the for ward movement of the plunger and piston embodying a hand-lever-controlled means for varying the point of reversal during the operation of the parts to project the fuel a greater or less distance as desired.

5. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with a reciprocatory plunger having a fuel-projecting nose at its forward end and a plunger-operating piston, and cylinder, of a valve controlling theadmission and exhaust ports of the cylinder and a valve-operating gear embodying independent operating-levers for moving the valve in opposite directions and each having a projection thereon and inclines moving with the plun-- ger for cooperating with said projections to shift the valve as the plunger nears the ex.-

tremes of its stroke substantially as de scribed.

6. In a mec'hanical stoker, the combinaw tion with a reciprocatory plunger having a fuel-projectingnose-at its forward end and a plunger-operat ng piston and cylinder, of a valve controlling the admission, and eX- haust ports of the cylinder, a valve-operating gear embodying independent operatinglevers for moving the valve in oppositeidirections and having movable progections thereon, hand-levers controlling ;t e position of said projections on :the .levers and inclines moving with 'the plunger for cooperation with said projections toshift the valve; sub.- stantially ;as described.

7. In a mechanical stoker, the combina? tion with a reciprocatory plunger having a fuel-projecting nose at its forward end and a plunger-operating piston and cylinder, of a valve controlling the admission and exhaust ports of the cylinder, a valve operating gear embodying independent operatingrlevei's, independently-movable projections on said levers, oppositely-arranged inclines moving with the plunger for cooperation with said projections to shift the valves and means for adjusting the relative positions of the projections and inclines to shift the valve at different points in the throw of the plunger; substantially as described.

8. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with a fuel door-frame and door, a reciprocatory plunger having a fuel-projecting nose adapted to work through the door-opening and a plunger-operating piston and cylinder, of valve mechanism for the cylinder embodying an admission and exhaust controlling valve and a throttle-valve, and a valvegear embodying a lever controlling the throttle-valve and t 1c operating connections for with a fuel door-frame and door, a reciprocatory plunger having a fuel-projecting nose adapted to work through the door-opening,

a reciprocatory steam-engine for operating the plunger embodying a valve and valvegear, of a tl-irottle-valve, a hand-lever .controlling the latter and connections between said lever and the valve-gear operating to throw the valve-gear controlling the advance of the plunger out of operation prior to the closing of ,the throttle; substantiall5 as described.

10. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with the fuel door-frame and door the plunger having a fuel-projecting nose ada ted to work through the door-opening, cyli der and piston for operating the plunger, of a valve controlling the admission and exhaust ports of the ,cylinder, means whereby the movement of the plunger operates the valve and means for releasing'the valve from con.- trol of the plunger.

11. In a mechanical stoker, the combination with the fuel door-frame and door, the plunger having a fuel-projecting noseadapted to work through the door-,opening,.cyl1n der and piston for operatingthe plunger, of a valvepontrolling the admission andexhaust ports of the cylinder, means whereby the movement of the plunger operates the valve, a lever adapted for manual operation and connections whereby a movement of the leger to rest and a movement in t e opposite too direction moves the valve to'open the admission-port.

12. In a mechanical stoke r the combifia: tion with a reciprocatory plunger having a.

' fuel-projecting nose at its forwardend and a power mechanism for imparting a rapid reciprocati'on to the'plunger, of a-door-frame through whic'hthe lun er works having an inclined seatand a oor 'nged to said frame and resting against said seat in an inwardly inclined position and adapted to be opened by the fuel advanced by the plunger; substantially as described. I 13. In a mechanical stoker the combination with a fuel-hopper having a fuel-discharge opening near the bottom at one side, a door hinged at the top of said. opening and extending downwardly on an"incli ne away from the ho per when in closed position whereby the uel does not exert apressure to open the door, and a reciprocatoryplunger working through the bottom of the hopper and opening and operating to push fuel in front of it to open the door and to project the fuel into the furnace and a power mechanism for reciprocating the plun er.

14. In a mechanical sto 'er, the combinavtion with a furnace-wallhaving an openin furnace having; deflecting -faces op ositely and outwardly inclined to the line 0 movement of the plunger and forwardly-extendin fuel-supporting flanges at the lower edges 0 said deflecting-faces; substantially as described. c

1'6. Ina mechanical stoker, a reciprocatory plunger for projecting the fuel into the furnace, having deflecting-faces pivoted at the sides of the plunger and means for moving said-faces on their pivots to project the fuel to the sides of the furnace; substantially as described.

17. In a' mechanical stoker, a reciprocatory plunger for projecting the fuel into the furnace, having deflecting-faces pivoted,at

the sides of the plunger, forwardly-extending flanges at the lower edges of the deflectingfaces and means for moving said faces on their pivots to project the fuel to the sides of the furnace; substantially as described.

18. In a, mechanical stoker, a reciprocatory plunger'for projecting the fuel into the furnace, having pivoted inclineddeflectingfaces means for moving said faces on their ivots to project the fuel to the sides of the.

urnace and means for holding said faces.- againstmovement independent of the plunger; substantially as described.

19. In a mechanical, stoken, a reciprocatory plunger for projecting the fuel into the furnace,,having pivoted inclined deflectingfaces, a plunger-operating mechanism con nected with said faces to swing them on their pivots and means for holding said faces against independent" movement; substantially as described. j

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses,this 6th day of September, 1905.

"Witnesses;

J. E WHITAKER, 'J.. C. HAnNa.

ILLIAM HENRY sT-RoUsE.- I 

